Possible Morality Scam to Bilk the Elderly out of Money????

[bleedingheart]

A while back my elderly mother got a call from some fellow who wanted to talk to her about how she felt about immoral programming on TV. My mom was a bit taken aback and told him that she wasn't interested...the fellow started to blather that "he wasn't calling about money"...then the conversation ended.

Today again she gets a call about the same thing and when the fellow starts asking her about foul language on TV...she responds...well George Bush uses foul language (referencing the Clymer incident)...and the guy just hangs up.

Now I know this may be nothing but professional poll takers don't hang up on people. He said that he was calling from some decency agency...how decent is it to hang up on someone???

I worry about her because I don't want her giving out personal info or money to strangers..(she won't...but some people are slick)...

I wonder that this isn't another GOP scam to sucker money out of people based on "morals"...

[The Straight Story]

1. When I get sales people on the phone I do one of 3 things

1. Hang up if I am busy
2. Try to sell THEM something.
3. If they are soliticing for a donation - I ask for their personal information too - where they live, phone number, address. They expect me to give mine to them :)

[Not_Giving_Up]

2. I let them talk to my son

He's real creative (and has a vocabulary well beyond his years)...And he's an Aspie, so anything will come out of his mouth, no problem.

I got one of those calls once asking to speak to the person in charge of making decisions about long distance. Hang on, let me get him! He not so delicately explained to them that our cat was pregnant, and he knew how she got that way (complete with sound effects - ahh, ahh, ahh, ooh, ooh, ooh). He also told the guy that our other cat was in heat, which means that she wants to have sex, then asked if he wanted our address.

[shraby]

3. My son tells them he's

been wanting to talk to them, but if they'd hold for a minute he'll get right back to them. Then he sets the phone down for about a half hour.

[sakabatou]

5. I have a voice recorder/digital mixer

It makes my voixce sound like Empereor Palpatine. I tell them (on the recording), that the Empire has no wishes to talk to such puny rebel scum. And hang up.

[Robbien]

4. Focus on the Family is more than likely behind it

The GOP arm twister on morality issues.

They are very coordinated and this phone campaign is probably trying to get new members to add to the list who send in letters of complaint objecting to whomever Focus on the Family tells them.

It is their media blaster program and is very effective. They were behind the outrage over Janet Jackson.